President Milanović Pays Tribute to Homeland War Civilian Victims in Medviđa
The President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, Zoran Milanović, paid tribute to Croatian victims of the Homeland War in Medviđa today, the residents of the village who were killed in February 1993. To commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the killing of innocent Croatian civilians, the President of the Republic laid a wreath and lit a candle at the monument near the local church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medviđa.
Members of Serbian rebel forces killed nine Croatian civilians that day in retaliation for the military and police operation Maslenica. The youngest civilian was 18 years old, and the oldest was 88 years old. During the occupation of Medviđa nine additional Croatian civilians were killed.
Accompanying President Milanović at the wreath-laying were the Adviser to the President for Homeland War Veterans, Marijan Mareković, and the Deputy Commander of the Artillery-missile battalion of the Guards Mechanized Brigade in Benkovac, Major Antonio Burazer.
Also laying a wreath at the monument erected in memory to the killed civilians in Medviđa during the Homeland War besides President Milanović were family members of the civilians killed, delegations of the Prime Minister, Zadar County, the cities of Biograd na Moru and Benkovac, and members of the following: Associations of Homeland War Croatian Civilian Victims of Zadar County; the Association of Croatian Homeland War Volunteers of Benkovac; the Association of War Veterans of the 9th Guards Brigade “Wolves” – Benkovac branch; the Benkovac HVIDRA Association; the Association of Croatian Defence Council (HVO) members of Zadar County; the Association of the 1990 “Pionirski grad” Volunteer Special Police Forces of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia; the Association of Homeland War Volunteers and Defenders of Rab; the delegation of the Zadra Police Department of Zadar; the Benkovac Police station; the Obrovac Police station; and the Benkovac Public Fire Department; and the local committee of Medviđa.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan